Preacher’s Checklist: Outlining a Sermon

March 15, 2016  David Murray   1 comment

So far in this series of checklists for beginning preachers we’ve looked at:

Today’s checklist is focused on sermon structure and theme.

1. Does your sermon have a recognizable structure/outline?

2. Is it simple enough to help people understand the text?

3. Is it memorable enough to help people remember the sermon?

4. Can you make it any simpler or more imaginative to further the aims of #2 and #3?

5. Does it have as few divisions as possible for the material?

6. Are the points symmetrical/parallel in form?

7. Are the points distinct or do they overlap? Same question for the subpoints?

8. Are the points in the right order? Do they follow logically?

8. Is the theme as short and yet as comprehensive as possible?

9. Does the theme reflect and incorporate the main points of the sermon?

10. Do the theme and points assist the aim of the sermon?

Bibliography

Here are my Top 10 Books on Preaching. And if you want to read more about how to outline a sermon and summarize your sermon in a theme you can try:

Jay Adams, Preaching with Purpose, pp. 45-78.
J A. Broadus, The Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, pp. 258-307.
Bryan Chapell, Christ-Centered Preaching, pp. 129-174, 350-51.
H. B. Charles, On Preaching, pp. 68-72, 83-85.
R. L. Dabney, Sacred Rhetoric or a Course of Lectures on Preaching, pp. 105-136, 214-232.
Mark Dever, Preach, pp. 85-91.
S. Greidanus, Modern Preacher and the Ancient Text, pp. 141-156.
D. R. Helm, Expositional Preaching, pp. 97-102.
C. W. Koller, Expository Preaching Without Notes, pp. 41-43, 76-84, 86-91.
D. M. Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers, pp. 64-80, 205-223.
Sam Logan, The Preacher and Preaching, pp. 275-302.
John MacArthur, Preaching: How to Preach Biblically, pp. 185-199, 242.
John Macarthur, Rediscovering Expository Preaching, pp. 225-241.
David Murray, How Sermons Work, pp. 85-106.
Denis Prutow, So Pastor, What’s Your Point, pp. 71-108.
Haddon. W. Robinson, Biblical Preaching, pp. 115-136.
John Stott, Between Two Worlds, pp. 228-242.